Colyne Stewart June-Aug XXXVI (2002)
From northern lands came Cynred bold
His spear at hand, his sword to hold
The badger from his den did ride
For word had come the Tygre died
Gaerwen led the scouts so quick
And archers with their arrows lick’d
Septentria rode south that day
All bless’d by the northern fey
The Dragon ‘croached on Eastern land
The Tygre called with furry hand
The Wolf descended to the East
Invited Bear to join the feast
The battle met in barren lands
And there two mighty armies stand
Septentria is in their midst
Our mighty fighters of the lists
Cynred leads us into battle
Cutting foemen down like cattle
The mighty Baron of the north
Whom Bards and Heralds shall call forth
Of stature small and heart immense
Of axe and helmet, shield of dents
A song upon his noble lips
Upon his sword red blood down drips
He is the one who leads us in
Through all the shouting and the din
The battles won and rarely lost
With him are all our futures tossed
As Cynred shoots the foemen down
Gaerwen of the never-frown
Does gleam his arrows from the grass
She the comely northern lass
From snowy lands she calls her home
She saddles up her horse to roam
Traveling to field and shire
Comfort found about a fire
She loves the land, it loves her back
Of love and patience not she lacks
And when she’s been down in her cups
She just may hike her tunics up
She who inspires all of us
Who march behind her to the tuss
She with the heart of Giantess
Our most beloved Baroness
Inspired by our nobles true
A Champion has come south too
A val’rous Lady I decree
Armed with a wyrm come from the sea
Her name you all know and honour
She with all our skill along her
For when Seonag takes the field
Septentria shall never yield
In tournament she met them all
Who with sword did come to call
And though she did not win the day
The Champion’s collar she took away
Her honour and her charity
Which on the field’s no rarity
With words of praise for all her foes
No utterance of her own woes
Led our great Thegn and Baroness
To her with copper collar dress
Now she our bravest Champion
She who inspires us to win
And with her trained and others too
To prepare us for battle s’true
Brandt the quick-foot, Brandt the swift-swing
Showed us how to make foe’s heads ring
With raven shield and shining suns
He leads the charge and swiftly runs
So fast we are all left behind
Courage greater is hard to find
He trains and teaches not just arms
He knows the ways of wood and farms
And armour he can help to build
For his keep is with it filled
He teaches till his students can
Teach others and so fill the land
With armoured fighters for the fyrd
With love and loyalty all stirr’d
To the front, his voice raised high
His eyes upon the blue-white sky
Is Hector of the plaid and skull
Who sings like dove and fights like bull
His words inspire love or fear
And people gather just to hear
And in the War he leads the way
For with him we shall win the day
We the rank and file army
March together in harmony
Shield to shield and sword to sword
Lands to cross and rivers ford
‘Fore our battle’s finally met
We charge into the foemen set
And all pure white and all pure red
The brave and loyal fyrd men bled
But not a one will turn away
Not a retreat will sound that day
Although we may fall to a man
The ursine banner still will stand
We will not flee, nor leave the field
Until Thegn’s honour is fulfilled
We are the army of our lands
We are the bearmen of red hands
Septentria shall always be
A land of truth and love and free
So long as people such as these
Live, love and play amongst our trees
We are the northmen, we the Bear
We are the heart of Ealdormere
And I the Bard now rest my pen
To stand and hold my sword again.
